Amendment status not verified — confirm the current text below against the official source.
(1) No prospecting licence or mining lease shall be granted to any person unless he- (a) holds a certificate of approval in the prescribed form from the State Government, (b) satisfies such other conditions as may be prescribed. Explanation : For the purpose of this Sub-section, a person shall be deemed to hold a certificate of approval notwithstanding that at the relevant time his certificate of approval has expired, if an application for its renewal is pending at that time. (2) No prospecting licence or mining lease shall be granted to any person who is not an Indian national. Explanation : For the purpose of this Sub-section, a person shall he deemed to be an Indian national, Central Act 1 of 1956 (a) in the case of a public company as defined in the Companies Act, 1956, only if a majority of the directors of the company are citizens of India and not less than fifty-one percent of the share capital thereof is held by persons who are either citizens of India or companies as defined in the said Act: (b) in the case of a private company as defined in said Act, only if all the members of the company are citizens of India; (c) in the case of a firm or other association of individuals, only if the partners or members of the firm or association are citizens of India; and (d) in the case of an individual, if he is a citizen of India, (3) No prospecting licence or mining lease shall be granted unless the State Government is satisfied that —. (a) there is evidence to show that the area for which prospecting licence or lease has been applied for has been prospected earlier and the existence of mineral prospects therein has been established : Provided that nothing in this Clause shall apply to any area if such area has already been prospected by a Department or an agency of the Government and the existence of mineral contents there has been established; (b) there is a mining plan duly approved by the State Government for the development of mineral deposits in the area concerned. Maximum area for which a prospecting licence or a mining lease can be granted